


Visit

by vvavavoom



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Dadko, Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Zuko (Avatar) is a Good Parent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:02:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25368823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vvavavoom/pseuds/vvavavoom
Summary: “I was thinking… I think I want to meet Ozai.”
Relationships: Iroh & Izumi (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Izumi & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 394





	Visit

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the prompts "Look at me okay, breathe" and "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere" that were requested on tumblr.

Izumi was eager to get back to the palace when her school let out. Her grandpa was visiting Caldera city and she was impatient to meet up with him. This morning over breakfast he had promised her that he would finally teach her the dragon’s breath technique, something she had been dying to learn for years.

The young princess nearly dragged her bodyguard the entire way back, urging him to pick up the pace. Once they arrived home, she unceremoniously dropped her things in her room and raced to the courtyard to meet her grandfather, only it was empty.

Disappointed that he had forgotten his promise, she set out to look for him in the large palace. Izumi asked the attendants if they knew where he was, but no one had seen him. She checked any and everywhere he could be. She looked in the dining room, his room, and even peeked into her father’s meeting to see if he was in there but she couldn’t find him.

The girl huffed as she sat down in the courtyard to practice her breathing like her father had taught her. Deep breath in, deep breath out. She tried clearing her mind but couldn’t help it, she was so looking forward to practicing with her grandpa.

“That is a good breathing technique you have there.” A voice interrupted. “As you know, the power of firebending comes from the breath.” Standing behind her was her Grandpa Iroh.

“I was trying to find you.” Izumi took another deep breath, “I looked everywhere.”

“Obviously you did not look everywhere my little Tea Leaf, because then you would have found me.” Iroh chuckled as he sat down in front of his granddaughter. “My apologies, I was busy and lost track of time.”

“Where were you?” Izumi pouted, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Iroh was quiet for moment before saying, “I was visiting an old friend.”

The girl scrunched her nose, “Who?”

Iroh considered his words before he spoke. The princess was 13 now, hardly a little girl anymore. As much as his nephew tried to shield her from the horrible parts of their family, Iroh didn’t see any good reason to lie to the girl. “Well, you don’t know him personally, but you do know about him. I was visiting my brother, Ozai.”

“Ozai?” She was taken aback, “But I thought he was in jail, why would you want to see him?”

Iroh stroked his beard. “Yes, he is in prison and for very good reasons. You can call me a sentimental old fool, but he’s my brother. There is no harm in sharing a cup of tea or playing a game of Pai Sho with him.”

Izumi pondered her grandfather’s words before asking “What’s he like? Is he nice to you?”

“I believe he looks forward to my visits. I’m think he gets lonely in there without anyone to see him so he’s a nice as he can be.” Iroh could see the girl turning that over in her head. “Now if I remember correctly you were very eager to learn the Dragon’s breath technique this morning, huh?”

Izumi forgot all about Ozai at the prospect of learning about the new technique. She spent the rest of the afternoon practicing her bending with her grandpa.

It wasn’t until much later when her, her father, and grandfather were eating dinner together and catching each other up on their days when Izumi remembered what her grandfather said earlier.

Izumi set her chopsticks down and announced, “I was thinking… I think I want to meet Ozai.”

Both men froze. There was a long moment of silence before Izumi said. “I’ve never met him before, and I think I should.” She looked between them, waiting for a response.

The old man looked to his nephew whose shocked expression hadn’t changed. He cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence that had come over the dinner table. “Well… I think that’s something for the Fire Lord to decide. Zuko?”

“Dad?” Izumi looked concerned at her father who hadn’t said a word.

Zuko broke out of his shock and addressed his daughter. “Let me think about it, ok, Turtleduck?” The topic was dropped for the remainder of their dinner.

-

“Absolutely not! I won’t allow it!” Zuko exclaimed as he paced back in forth in the sitting room while his Uncle drank tea on the couch.

Iroh sighed. He felt personally responsible for the princess’ interest in his brother. He was the one who brought up the former Fire Lord to her, thinking it would open up a line of communication between them. He thought she would ask him questions about the man, not want to outright meet him. And this whole ordeal was clearly causing his nephew a lot of stress.

“I don’t like this, Uncle. I don’t like this at all. Why on earth would she want to meet him?”

“The girl is curious, there is nothing wrong with that.”

“Nothing wrong? The thought of her even being in the same room as him is just- it makes me sick.” Zuko continued ranting. “I don’t want him even a hundred yards near her.”

“Zuko, you are overreacting. Nothing would happen if she were to see him.” Iroh took a sip of the hot tea. “The worst that could occur would be a few harsh words and we can easily put a stop to them.”

Zuko sat down with his head in his hands. “I can’t, Uncle. He’s so cruel and malicious and… she’s my baby. I won’t let her go through even an ounce of what he put me through.”

“And she won’t.” Iroh placed a hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “You raised a strong young woman, she’s hardly a baby anymore.”

“I know but she’s still just a child. She’s so good and innocent.” His voice sounded desperate. The thought of Ozai hurting Izumi the way he used hurt him made Zuko’s blood run cold. “He can’t have her.”

“And he won’t. He cannot change your daughter’s good heart, just like he didn’t change yours.” Iroh handed the Fire Lord a fresh cup of tea, which he took, thanking his uncle.

Zuko glowered into the hot beverage. “He doesn’t deserve her.”

“Yes, you’re right. But he is not the one making demands. This is what Izumi has requested. So, you must decide if you want to be there for her or shut her out.”

Zuko stayed silent, staring into his reflection in the cup.

-

“You have to promise me that the second you feel uncomfortable you’ll let me know.”

“Yes, Dad.”

“And don’t be afraid, ok. I’ll be right there the whole time.”

“I know.” Izumi tried to swallow down her anxiety as they walked the path up towards the prison.

“And you don’t owe him anything. If he asks you something you don’t like, you don’t have to answer.”

“Ok.”

“And remember, he can’t hurt you.”

“I know.” She repeated.

Iroh smiled at the Fire Lord. “You worry too much my nephew. Your daughter is a strong little firecracker.” Iroh winked at Izumi and she felt her anxiety lessen.

The princess was flanked on each side by her father and grandfather as they made their way inside the prison. Zuko nodded at the guards as they stood at attention for him. They stopped in front of a metal door she assumed belonged to Ozai.

“Last chance. You sure you want to do this?” Iroh wasn’t sure if Zuko was asking his daughter or himself. Izumi nodded, the anticipation rising high in her stomach.

The cell was dark, the only strip of light illuminating the lone figure inside. The Fire Lord stepped in first and Izumi followed in behind him, practically hiding behind his larger frame.

“To what do I owe this pleasant visit?” His voice made it clear that the visit was anything but pleasant. Izumi peeked from behind her father to get a good look at the infamous Fire Lord Ozai she heard all about. He was old with long, graying hair and a shaggy appearance.

Zuko looked as if he wanted to speak but just stood with his fists at his side, frowning at his father.

“We brought some tea.” Iroh set down the tray, “And a new visitor.”

“Ah, so you finally decided to introduce me to my granddaughter, Zuko.” Ozai stood up, his eyes shining with interest.

“She already has a grandfather. She doesn’t need-” Zuko stopped himself from speaking. He promised himself he would try to make this as smooth as possible for his daughter’s sake.

Ozai ignored his son. “Come forward.” The way he said it made it seem like he was used to giving orders.

Izumi hesitated, unsure.

“It’s alright, Zooms. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.” Her dad whispered over his shoulder, his face a lot softer than it was a second ago.

The princess stepped forward and faced the man in the cell. “Hello.”

Ozai didn’t speak at first. He looked her over with an intense gaze for a long moment. She made eye contact with him for a second but quickly broke it. He looked so much like her father, but his expression was all wrong. Her father never looked at her like that.

“Yes, I have been waiting to meet you, Princess Izumi.” Her name rolled off his tongue, smooth as silk.

Izumi stayed silent, completely forgetting what she was planning on saying when she met Ozai. He was a very intimidating man. His voice, his posture, his demeanor. His eyes. Everything about him commanded submission.

“You remind me of my daughter. How is your fire bending? Not like your father’s I hope.” He said with a condescending smile.

“That’s not- I-” Izumi looked back at her father who was scowling. “It’s good.” She said.

“Good?” Ozai frowned, raising an eyebrow. He made her feel so small.

“Yes, good. Can’t you hear?” Zuko interjected, stepping up behind his daughter.

Ozai sneered. “That answers my question then, you’re nothing like my daughter.” He looked down at her disapprovingly.

Izumi regretted coming here. Looking at this man before her she can see that he had no remorse. For all the evil things that he’d done, and she’d heard of a lot, it was clear he didn’t regret a single one.

The girl watched as her grandpa served the tea. Ozai picked up his cup without even a glance to his brother, as if he were a lowly servant. She watched him take a sip of the tea that her grandfather carefully brewed back at the palace specifically for him. She watched him place his cup down with his right hand. The same hand that he used to burn her father’s face. She is the same age her father was when it happened. She wondered if Ozai could still firebend, would he try doing it to her too?

Izumi didn’t realize that she was being spoken to until she was outside of the prison cell, her father’s face in front of hers.

“Izumi, look at me, ok? Breathe.” He instructed holding her face in his hands. He took deep breaths and she followed along with him, until she felt calm enough to speak.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered.

“Please don’t apologize.” Her father hugged her, “Are you ok?”

She nodded. “Can we go please?”

“Of course.” Zuko kept his arm around her as he told his uncle they were leaving. Iroh stayed behind, saying he had a few words he wanted to share with his brother.

The duo walked in silence on the way back to the palace. Zuko looked down at her, trying to think of the right thing to say.

“I’m sorry. He’s not a nice person.” That was an understatement.

“I’m sorry Dad, for making you go all the way over there.” Izumi didn’t look up, clearly ashamed.

“Hey.” He stopped walking and turned her to face him. “None of this is your fault, ok. It’s his. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Neither did you.” Izumi’s lip quivered as she reached up to lightly touch his scar.

Zuko took a deep breath, blinking away tears. “I love you.” He hugged her tightly, pressing a kiss to the side of her face. “I love you more than anything.”

“I love you too, Dad.” Izumi cried into his shoulder.

They stayed like that for a while, just holding each other. When they finally broke apart Izumi looked up at her father.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being the best dad in the whole world.” She sniffled, smiling.

Zuko felt the swell of love in his chest grow a million times bigger, a large smile spreading on his face.

They never felt the need to think about Ozai again. He was insignificant.


End file.
